*says Kaduna a shinning example in mother-to-child transmission reduction
By; SANI ALIYU, Zaria
The Chairman Kaduna State Preventing Mother To Child Transmission of HIV/ADS Technical Working Group (PMTCT TWG) Dr. Joel Adze said the group has been able to strengthen its services in the state.
Dr. Adze made this known at a meeting of the PMTCT Technical Group held at Aso Motel, Kaduna noting that Kaduna State always emerged first in this regard and there is a lot of potentials to delivered.
He charged PMTCT Technical Working Group to provide the evidence by providing the needed actions that will educate and enlighten the communities on the importance of the preventive measures.
According to him, PMTCT has integrated services in Kaduna State such as family planning, counseling among others which was coordinated by the Technical Working Group.
Dr. Joel Adze said, PMTCT in the state have achieved a giant stride which make Kaduna State a sign of example by Nigerian states.
“The challenges surrounding the meeting has been resolved and in every month the state has a meeting which was sponsored by the UNICEF and other groups while Ministry of Health is solidly behind the meeting and it will continue to give its support”.
In his presentation the State Aids Programme Coordinator (SAPC) Aliyu Musa said, testing on paediatric will be the focus point particularly those born by the HIV/AIDS patients.
He said, the state government has promised to give its counterpart funding and it will engage private sector for help in the serviced delivery.
Aliyu Musa said the challenges facing the PMTCT are weak PMTCT demand at local government levels, Kaduna State is no longer a PEPEAR priority state, weak supervision of service providers and data managers and long early infant diagnosis (EID) turn around time.
In 2016 Kaduna State has recorded 407, 648 pregnancy, 18,800 people living with HIV/AIDS, 604 PMTCT and 49 HIV/AIDS centres and 90% of women in the state have access to healthcare facilities.
